We value your feedback

The prior post laid out a miserable customer experience with Washington Mutual, but – if truth be told – the root cause of what went wrong could be boiled down to a pretty short list:

1) the system wasn't taking numeric inputs for a short time (and this problem did not reappear in later calls)
2) the website directs users into WaMu's customer service line, but there is no "Help with WaMu.com" in their root menu.
3) A menu item contains the word "personal" but connects you with a service rep who does not have access to personal accounts (at least for the purpose of resetting a web password)
4) The system will dead end and tell the user to hang up and dial again.

That's it. Just four items- and it's very likely that 1 and 4 were momentary glitches. The fix for two and three are (in the scheme of things) pretty simple changes.

A bedrock principle of my profession is that feedback from the user is the best tool in designing the interface. By implication, that means that users should provide feedback, and companies should make this as easy as possible. It's rather obvious but - if the company doesn't know about the problem, how will they ever fix it?

With the high-minded goal of making things better – let's try to tell WaMu about it, shall we?

Go to WaMu.com and select "Contact Us." There's a link to "send us a message."

So far, so good.

Fill out the required identifying information and select a category (there isn't a "Web feedback" category, so we'll go with "General Inquiry."

Write a detailed summation of the experience and offer suggestions. Make it clear that you are irritated, but try to be constructive.

*Hit 'Send message'*

Please enter valid text in the Message field.

What the hell does that mean?

*Hit 'Send message'*

Please enter valid text in the Message field.

*Remove all high-ASCII characters from message*

*Hit 'Send message'*

Please enter valid text in the Message field.

*Prune 3,000 character message down to 1,000 characters.*

*Hit 'Send message'*

Please enter valid text in the Message field.

*Prune 1,000 character message down to 500 characters.*

*Hit 'Send message'*

Please enter valid text in the Message field.

*Copy message into notepad, scan carefully for possible illegal characters. Find none.*

*Prune 500 character message down to 361 characters.*

*In desperation, Hit 'Send message'*

Your message below has been sent.

I had written a fairly detailed description of my attempt to reset my WaMu.com password through your customer service line into this form. Having finished writing my message, I pressed submit and was told: Please enter valid text in the Message field. I can only assume that the message was too long. See http://onautopilot.blogspot.com/2007/11/your-call-is-important-to-us.html What a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

You will receive a response within 24 hours.

*Realize that the original reason for the comment was not in the text of the message.*

*Begin doubting that the recipient will be willing to click on a hyperlink*

*Begin writing new message.*

*Give up*

[time passes...]

*receive email from personalbanking@wamu.com*

*open email*

------
RE: General Inquiry
Ref. No: K26783[withheld]

Dear Murph:

Thank you for your email.

I'm sorry to hear you've been having problems with our Online Banking Service.

Unfortunately, I am not able to assist you. The security of our Web site and customer data is taken seriously. So, before we can assist you with your inquiry, your identity must first be verified.

Please call us at the toll-free number below and select option 1 for (Personal Accounts) or 2 (Business Accounts), then 3 (Online Banking),and then 3 (Password Resets), or 4 (All other online banking questions).

I do apologize for the inconvenience.

If there's anything else, you may do one of the following:

- Go to https://online.wamu.com/messagecenter/general/sendmessage.aspx
* Click "Secure," then select "Checking, Money Market and Savings" from the available categories.
* Click "Continue," then log in with your User ID and Password.
* Complete the form, including the action you'd like us to take. Once received, we generally reply within 24 hours confirming the actions
we've taken.

- Call us toll-free at 800.788.7000.

- Visit a Washington Mutual financial center.

To find the financial center nearest you, please go to
http://clients.mapquest.com/wamu/mqlocator?link=findusmain

Sincerely,

Yamini
Washington Mutual Customer Service

[Copyright/trademark information]
[Disclaimer that copy of original message should not be attributed to WaMu]

Original Message Follows:
[Text of received message, with hyperlink truncated]

------

*Review email.*

I am not able to assist you….

…call us at the toll-free-

*snort in derision*

*Scan message for 'Do not reply' text. Find none*

*Hit 'reply'*

*Compose detailed description of experience with customer service line, with recommended changes. Review, edit, clarify text.*

*Send email to personalbanking@wamu.com*

*Receive email from personalbanking@wamu.com*

------ Your message wasn't delivered to Washington Mutual because it didn't originate from the Washington Mutual secure website.

To send a message to Washington Mutual, go to https://online.wamu.com/messagecenter/general/sendmessage.aspx, select a topic from the drop-down menu and type in your question or concern. Washington Mutual can usually get an answer to you within 24 hours.

If your email seeks account-related information, you'll first need to provide a valid logon ID and password before you can receive a response.

To get a logon ID, go to https://login.personal.wamu.com/logon/logon.asp. If you want to report a lost or stolen card, or any unauthorized activity on your account, please call Washington Mutual directly at (800)-788-7000. Thanks! ------

*Review email.*

Your message wasn't...

*Scan prior message for 'Do not reply' text. Find none*

… Go to https://online.wamu.com/messagecenter/general/sendmessage.aspx ...

*Click on link*

*Realize this is a different form than the previous one*

*Click on category dropdown. See "Website Feedback."*

Step 1 of 4

*Click 'Next'*

*See form's Comments/Inquiry box says 'Maximum 3000 characters'*

*Exult*

*Compose detailed description of experience with customer service line, with recommended changes. Review, edit, clarify text.*

*Click 'Next'*

We're sorry, we cannot process your request at this time.

*Hit 'Back' button*

*See form's Comments/Inquiry field is now blank*

*[Expletive]! [Expletive]-ing form! [Expletive]-ing Wamu! [Expletive]….*

*Open MS Word*

*Attempt to reconstruct prior message from memory.*

*Attempt to reconstruct polite and helpful tone. Fail.*

*Reload web form*

*Copy and paste in message from MS Word*

*Click 'Next'*

Some of the information you entered is missing or incorrect. Please check all highlighted fields below and re-enter the data in the format shown.

* The comments / inquiry field should contain only valid characters. The following special characters are not allowed: < > " &

*[Expletive]*

*Return to MS Word text, do find and replace for quotation marks*

*Find and replace for brackets*

*Find and replace for ampersands*

*Copy and paste message back into form*

*Click 'Next'*

* The comments / inquiry field should contain only valid characters. The following special characters are not allowed: < > " &*

*Seize, throw, and destroy a nearby object*

*Return to MS Word text. Search for high-ASCII characters.*

*Discover that MS Word's autocorrect has changed hyphens into high-ASCII em-dashes.*

*Find and replace em-dashes with hyphens*

*Find and replace en-dashes with hyphens*

*Copy and paste message back into form*

We value your feedback. ... You will receive a response within 24 hours.

*Exult*

[time passes...]

*receive email from wamuinvestments@wamu.com*

*open email*

------
Re: Website feedback (KMM315[withheld])
Dear [murph],

You have reached WaMu Investments, we are a broker/dealer for stocks,
bonds, and mutual funds. For WaMu Bank, please give them a call at
800-788-7000.

Sincerely,

Client Services
WaMu Investments

[Original Message Follows]
------

*[Expletive], [Expletive], [Expletive], [Expletive], [Expletive], [Expletive]!*

*Scan message for 'Do not reply' text. Find none*

*Hit 'reply'*

------
To: 'Wamu Investments'
Re: Website feedback (KMM315[withheld])

Are you telling me that my feedback will not be forwarded to WaMu Bank unless I do the forwarding?
------

*Hit 'send'*

[time passes...]

*receive email from wamuinvestments@wamu.com*

*open email*

------
Dear [murph],

We are sorry, but this website is not set up to forward any messages. We would like nothing more to help you, but again we do not and can not handle the bank's customer service issues. The only thing we could suggest is calling the bank's 800 number again, dialing 0 to speak with a customer service rep., and then asking for tech. support. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Client Services
WaMu Investments

[Original Message Follows]
------

*close email*

*Declare in a loud voice that there is no God.*

Late edit: Read the sequel